ISTANBUL (AA) – Head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Bafel Talabani, congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on Tuesday on his selection as Iran’s new supreme leader.

“We extend our congratulations to the Islamic Republic of Iran on the appointment of its new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei,” Talabani said in a congratulatory message.

He added that he hopes the step will help ease tensions, strengthen stability and establish lasting peace in the region.

Mojtaba Khamenei was declared the successor of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike last week.

In Iran’s political system, the supreme leader holds authority that surpasses all state institutions, including the president. As commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the position plays a decisive role in internal security and foreign policy.

Regional escalation has flared when Israel and the US launched a joint attack against Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,200 people and injuring 10,000 others.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.